20 In as myche as thou art greet, make thee meke in alle thingis, and thou schalt fynde grace bifore God; for whi the power of God aloon is greet,

21 and he is onourid of meke men.

22 Seke thou not hiyere thingis than thou, and enquere thou not strongere thingis than thou; but euere thenke thou tho thingis, whiche God comaundide to thee; and be thou not curiouse in ful many werkis of hym.

23 For it is not nedeful to thee to se with thin iyen tho thingis, that ben hid.

24 In superflu thingis nyle thou seke manyfold; and be thou not curiouse in many werkis of hym;

25 for whi ful many thingis aboue the wit of men ben schewid to thee.

26 For the suspecioun of many men hath disseyued hem, and withhelde her wittis in vanytee.

27 And hard herte schal haue yuel in the laste tyme; and he that loueth perel, schal perische ther ynne.

28 An herte that entrith bi tweie weies, schal not haue prosperitees, ether reste; and a man of schrewid herte schal be sclaundrid in tho.

29 A wickid herte schal be greuyd in sorewis; and a synnere schal `hepe to do synne.

30 Helthe schal not be to the synagoge of proude men; for whi the thicke wode of synne schal be drawun out bi the roote in hem, and it schal not be vndurstondun.

31 The herte of a wise man is vndurstondun in wisdom, and a good eere schal here wisdom with al coueitise.

32 A wijs herte and able to vndurstonde schal absteyne it silf fro synnes, and schal haue prosperitees in the werkis of riytfulnesse.

33 Watir quenchith fier brennynge, and almes ayenstondith synnes.

34 And God, the biholdere of hym that yeldith grace, hath mynde aftirward; and he schal fynde stidefastnesse in the tyme of his fal.

27 In the dai of goodis be thou not vnmyndeful of yuels, and in the dai of yuels be thou not vnmyndeful of goodis;

28 for it is esi bifor God to yelde in the dai of deth to ech man aftir hise weies.

29 The malice of oon our makith foryeting of moost letcherie; and in the ende of a man is makyng nakid of hise werkis.

30 Preise thou not ony man bifore his deth; for whi a man is knowun in hise sones.

31 Brynge thou not ech man in to thin hous; for whi many tresouns ben of a gileful man.

32 For whi as the entrailis of stynkynge thingis breken out, and as a partrich is led in to a trap, ether net, and as a capret is led in to a snare, so and the herte of proude men; and as a biholdere seynge the fal of his neiybore.

33 For he turneth goodis in to yuels, and settith tresouns, and puttith a wem on chosun men.

34 Fier is encreessid of a sparcle, and blood is encreessid of a gileful man; for whi a synful man settith tresoun to blood.

35 Take heede to thee fro a gileful man, for he makith yuels; lest perauenture he bringe yn on thee scornyng with outen ende.

36 Resseyue thou an alien to thee, and he schal distrie thee in whirlwynd, and he schal make thee alien fro thin owne weies.

12 Sette thou not him bisidis thee, nether sitte he at thi riytside, lest he turne and stonde in thi place; lest perauenture he turne in to thi place, and enquere thi chaier, and in the laste tyme thou know mi wordis, and be prickid in my wordis.

13 Who schal do medecyn to an enchauntere smytun of a serpent, and to alle men that neiyen to beestis, and to him that goith with an yuel man, and is wlappid in the synnes of him?

14 In oon our he schal dwelle with thee; sotheli if thou bowist awei, he schal not bere vp.

15 The enemy makith swete in hise lippis, and in his herte he settith tresoun to ouerturne thee in to the dich.

16 The enemy wepith in hise iyen; and if he fyndith tyme, he schal not be fillid of blood.

1 He that touchith pitch, schal be defoulid of it; and he that comyneth with a proude man, schal clothe pride.

2 He reisith a weiyte on hym silf, that comyneth with a more onest man than hym silf; and be thou not felowe to a man richere than thou.

3 What schal a cawdroun comyne to a pot? for whanne tho hirtlen hem silf togidere, the pot schal be brokun.

4 A riche man schal do vniustli, and schal gnaste; but a pore man hirt schal be stille.

5 If thou yyuest, he schal take thee; and if thou hast not, he schal forsake thee.

6 If thou hast, he schal lyue togidere with thee, and schal make thee voide; and he schal not haue sorewe on thee.

7 If thou art nedeful to hym, he schal disseyue thee; and he schal flatere, and schal yyue hope, tellinge to thee alle goodis; and schal seie, What is nede to thee?

8 And he schal schende thee in hise metis, til he anyntische thee twies and thries, and at the laste he schal scorne thee; aftirward he schal se, and schal forsake thee, and he schal moue his heed to thee.

9 Be thou maad meke to God, and abide thou hise hondis.

10 Take heede, lest thou be disseyued, and be maad lowe in foli.

11 Nyle thou be lowe in thi wisdom, lest thou be maad low, and be disseyued in to foli.

12 Whanne thou art clepid of a miytiere man, go thou awei; for bi this he schal more clepe thee.

13 Be thou not greetli pressyng, lest thou be hurtlid doun; and be thou not fer fro hym, lest thou go in to foryetyng.

14 Witholde thou not to speke with hym euenli, and bileue thou not to hise many wordis; for of myche speche he schal tempte thee, and he schal leiye priuyli, and schal axe thee of thin hid thingis.

15 His cruel soule schal kepe thi wordis, and he schal not spare of malice, and of bondis.

16 Be war to thee, and take heede diligentli to thin heryng; for thou goist with thi distriyng.

17 Seie thou not, Y schal not be knowun in a greet puple; for whi which is my soule in so greet a creature?

18 Lo! heuene, and the heuenes of heuenes, the greet occian, and al erthe, and tho thingis that ben in tho, schulen be mouyd in his siyt;

19 munteyns togidere, and litle hillis, and the foundementis of erthe; and whanne God biholdith tho, tho schulen be schakun togidere with tremblyng.

20 And in alle these thingis the herte is vnwijs, and ech herte is vndurstondun of hym.

21 And who vndurstondith hise weies? and `who vndurstondith a tempest, which the iye of man siy not?

22 For whi ful many werkis of hym ben `in hid thingis, but who schal telle out the werkis of his riytfulnesse, ether who schal suffre? For whi the testament is fer fro summe men; and the axyng of men is in the endyng.

23 He that is maad litil in herte, thenkith veyn thingis; and a man vnprudent and a fool thenkith fonned thingis.

1 A slow man is stonyd in a stoon of cley; and alle men schulen speke on the dispisyng of him.

2 A slow man is stonyd of the dung of oxis; and ech man that touchith hym, schal schake the hondis.

3 The schame of a fadir is of a sone vnlerned; but a fonned douyter schal be in decreessyng.

4 A prudent douyter is eritage to hir hosebonde; for sche that schendith hir hosebonde, is in dispisyng of the fadir.

5 A `schameles womman schendith the fadir and hosebonde, and schal not be maad lesse than vnfeithful men; forsothe sche schal not be onourid of euer either.

6 Melodie in morenyng is vncouuenable tellyng; betyngis and techyng in al tyme with wisdom.

7 He that techith a fool, as he that glueth togidere a tiel stoon.

8 He that tellith a word to hym that herith not, is as he that reisith a man slepynge fro a greuouse sleep.

9 He that tellith wisdom to a fool, spekith with a man slepynge; and in the ende of the tellyng he schal seie, Who is this?

10 Wepe thou on a deed man, for whi his liyt failide; and wepe thou on a fool, for he failide of wit.

11 Wepe thou a litil on a deed man, for he hath restid.

12 Forsothe the lijf of a ful wickid man is ful wickid, more than the deth of a fool.

13 The morenyng of a deed man is seuene daies; but the morenyng of a fool and of a wickid man is alle the daies of her lijf.

14 Speke thou not myche with a fool, and go thou not with an vnwijs man.

15 Keep thee fro hym, that thou haue not disese; and thou schalt not be defoulid in the synne of hym.

16 Boowe thou awei fro hym, and thou schalt fynde reste; and be thou not anoied by his foly.

17 What schal be maad heuyere than leed? and what othere name than a fool is to it?

18 It is liytere to bere grauel, and salt, and a gobet of yrun, than a man vnprudent, and a fool, and vnfeithful.

19 As an heep of trees, boundun togidere in the foundement of the bilding, schal not be vnboundun, so and an herte confermed in the thouyt of counsel.

20 The thouyt of a wijs man shal not be maad schrewid in ony tyme, nether drede.

21 As chaffis in hiye places, and soond with out medling of hym, set ayens the face of wynd, schulen not dwelle;

22 so and a dreedful herte in the thouyt of a fool ayenstondith not ayens the feersnesse of drede.

23 As ournyng, ether pargetyng, ful of grauel in a cleer wal, so and a ferdful herte in the thouyt of a fool schal not drede in ony tyme; so and he that dwellith euere in the heestis of God.

24 He that prickith the iye, schal leede out teeris; and he that prickith the herte, bryngith forth wit.

25 He that castith a stoon to briddis, schal caste doun tho; so and he that doith wrong to a frend, departith frenschipe.

26 Thouy thou bryngist forth a swerd to a frend, dispeire thou not; for ther is going ayen to the frend.

27 If he openeth a soreuful mouth, drede thou not; for whi ther is acordyng, outakun dispisynge, and schenschipe, and pride, and schewyng of preuyte, and a tretcherouse wounde; in alle these thingis a frend schal fle awei.

28 Haue thou feith with a frend in his pouert, that thou be glad also in hise goodis.

29 In the tyme of his tribulacioun dwelle thou feithful to hym, that also thou be euene eir in the eritage of hym.

30 Heete and smook of fier is maad hiy bifore the fier of a chymenei; so and cursyngis, and dispisyngis, and manaassis, comen bifore blood.

31 I schal not be aschamed for to grete a frend, and Y schal not hide me fro his face; thouy yuels comen to me bi hym, Y schal suffre.

32 Ech man that schal here, schal kepe warli hym silf fro hym.

33 Who schal yyue keping to my mouth, and a certeyn ceelyng on my lippis, that Y falle not bi tho, and that my tunge leese not me?

27 And he vndirstondith not, that the iye of him seeth alle thingis; for whi the drede of siche a man puttith awei fro him the drede of God, and the iyen of men that dreden hym putten awei fro hym Goddis drede.

28 And he knew not, that the iyen of the Lord ben myche more clerere than the sunne, and biholden alle the weies of men, and the depthe of the see, and biholden the hertis of men in to hid partis.

29 For whi alle thingis weren knowun to the Lord, bifore that thei weren maad of nouyt; so and aftir the makyng he biholdith alle thingis.

30 This man schal be punyschid in the stretis of the citee; he schal be dryuun a wei as an horse colt, and he schal be takun, where he hopith not.

31 And he schal be schenschip to alle men; for he vndurstood not the drede of the Lord.

32 So and ech womman forsakynge hir hosebonde schal do synne, and ordeynynge eritage of an alien matrimonye.

33 For firste sche was vnbileueful in the lawe of the hiyeste, and the secounde tyme sche forsook hir hosebonde; and the thridde tyme sche was defoulid in auowtrie, and ordeynede to hym sones of another man.

34 `This womman schal be brouyt in to the chirche, and me schal biholde on hir sones.

28 Twei spices apperiden harde and perilouse to me; a marchaunt is delyuered of hard fro his necgligence, and a tauerner schal not be iustified of synnes of lippis.

1 Many men han trespassid for nedynesse; and he that sekith to be maad riche, turneth a wei his iye.

2 As a stake is fastned in the myddis of a heep of stoonys, so and a man schal be angwischid bi synnes bitwixe the middis of sillyng and biyng.

3 Trespas schal be al to-brokun with hym that trespassith.

4 If thou holdist not thee diligentli in the drede of the Lord, thin hous schal soone be turned vpsedoun.

5 As dust schal dwelle in the hoolis of a riddil, so the angwisch of a man schal dwelle in the thouyt of hym.

6 A furneis preueth the vessels of a pottere; and the temptacioun of tribulacioun preueth iust men.

7 As cherliche trauel aboute a tree schewith the fruyt therof, so a word of thouyt schewith the herte of man.

8 Preise thou not a man bifore a word; for whi this is the temptacioun of men.

9 If thou suest riytfulnesse, thou schalt take it; thou schalt clothe it as a long cloth of onour, and thou schalt dwelle with it, and it schal defende thee with outen ende, and in the dai of knowing thou shalt fynde stidfastnesse.

20 For as a man that leesith his frend, so he that leesith the frenschipe of his neiybore.

21 And as a man that latith go a brid fro his hond, so thou that hast forsake thi neiybore, and thou schalt not take hym.

22 Thou schalt not sue hym, for he is fer absent; for he ascapid as a capret fro a snare, for the soule of hym is woundid.

23 Thou schalt no more mow bynde hym togidere; but of yuel seiyng is acordyng.

24 Sotheli to schewe opynli the pryuytees of a frend, is dispeir of a soule vnblessid.

25 He that twynclith with the iye, makith wickid thingis;

26 and no man schal caste hym awei. In the siyt of thin iyen he schal defoule his mouth, and he schal wondre on thi wordis; but at the laste he schal turne weiwerdli his mouth, and in his wordis he schal yyue sclaundre.

27 Y herde mani thingis, and Y made not euene to hym; and the Lord schal hate hym.

28 If a man throwith a stoon an hiy, it schal falle on his heed; and the gileful wounde of a gyleful man schal departe woundis.

29 And he that diggith a diche, schal falle in to it; and he that settith a stoon to a neiybore, schal offende therynne; and he that settith a snare to a nother man, schal perische ther ynne.

30 If a man makith worst councel, it schal be turned on hym; and he schal not knowe fro whennus it schal come to him.

31 The scornyng and dispisyng of proude men and veniaunce schal sette a spie to hym, as a lioun doith.

20 Yyue thou not power ouer thee in thi lijf to a sone, and to a womman, to a brothir, and to a freend; and yyue thou not thi possessioun to another man, lest perauenture it repente thee, and thou biseche for tho.

4 A felowe of table schal be myrie with a frend in delityngis, and in the dai of tribulacioun he schal be aduersarie.

5 A felowe of table schal haue sorewe with a frend, for cause of the wombe; and he schal take scheeld ayens an enemye.

6 Foryete thou not thi frend in thi soule, and be thou not vnmyndeful of hym in thi werkis.

7 Nyle thou take councel with the fadir of thi wijf; and hide thou councel fro hem that han enuye to thee.

8 Ech councelour schewith councel, but ther is a councelour to hym silf.

9 Kepe thi soule fro an yuel counselour; firste wite thou, what is his nede, and what he schal thenke in his soule;

10 lest perauenture he sende a stake in to the erthe, and seie to thee,

11 Thi weie is good, and he stonde ayenward, to se what schal bifalle to thee.

12 With an vnreligiouse man trete thou of holynesse, and with an vniust man of riytfulnesse, and with a womman of these thingis whiche sche hatith. With a ferdful man trete thou of batel, with a marchaunt, of cariyng ouer of marchaundies to chepyng; with a biere, of sillyng, with an enuyouse man, of graces to be don;

13 with an vnpitouse man, of pytee, with an vnonest man, of oneste, with a werk man of the feeld, of ech werk;

14 with a werk man hirid bi the yeer, of the endyng of the yeer, with a slowe seruaunt, of myche worchyng. Yyue thou not tent to these men in al councel,

19 For whi deth hastith of sorewe, and hilith vertu; and the sorewe of herte bowith the heed.

20 Sorewe dwellith in ledyng awei; and the catel of a nedi man is aftir his herte.

21 Yyue thou not thin herte in sorewe, but put it awei fro thee; and haue thou mynde on the laste thingis, and nyle thou foryete.

22 For whi no turning is, and thou schalt no thing profite to this deed man; and thou schalt harme worste thi silf.

23 Be thou myndeful of mi dom; for also thin schal be thus, to me yistirdai, and to thee to dai.

24 In the reste of a deed man make thou hys mynde to haue reste; and coumforte thou hym in the goyng out of his spirit.

25 Write thou wisdom in the tyme of voidenesse; and he that is made lesse in dede, schal perseyue wisdom; for he schal be fillid of wisdom.

26 He that holdith the plow, and he that hath glorie in a gohode, dryueth oxis with a pricke, and he lyueth in the werkis of tho; and his tellyng is in the sones of bolis.

27 He schal yyue his herte to turne forewis; and his wakyng schal be aboute the fatnesse of kien.

28 So ech carpenter, and principal werk man, that passith the niyt as the dai; that graueth ymagis grauun, and the bisynesse of hym dyuersith the peynture; he schal yyue his herte to the licnesse of peynture, and bi his wakyng he perfourmeth the werk.

29 So a smyth sittynge bisidis the anefelt, and biholdynge the werk of yrun, the heete of fier brenneth hise fleischis; and he stryueth in the heete of the furneis.

30 The vois of a hamer makith newe his eere; and his iye is ayens the licnesse of a vessel.

31 He schal yyue his herte in to the perfourmyng of werkis; and bi his wakyng he schal ourne vnperfeccioun.

32 So a potter sittynge at his werk, turnynge a wheel with hise feet, which is put euere in bisynesse for his werk; and al his worchyng is vnnoumbrable.

33 In his arm he schal fourme clei; and bifore hise feet he schal bowe his vertu.

34 He schal yyue his herte to ende perfitli sum thing; and bi his wakyng he schal clense the furneis.

35 Alle these men hopiden in her hondis; and ech man is wijs in his craft.

36 A citee is not bildid with outen alle these men.

37 And thei schulen not dwelle, nether go; and thei schulen not skippe ouer in to the chirche.

38 Thei schulen not sitte on the seete of a iuge; and thei schulen not vndirstonde the testament of doom, nether thei schulen make opyn techyng and doom; and thei schulen not be foundun in parablis.

39 But thei schulen conferme the creature of the world, and her preyer is in the worching of craft; and thei yyuen her soule, and thei axen togidere in the lawe of the hiyeste.

1 Double thou not a word of heryng, of the schewyng of an hid word; and thou schalt be verily with out schame, and thou schalt fynde grace in the siyt of alle men. Be thou not schent for alle these thingis; and take thou not a persoone, that thou do trespas.

2 Be thou war of the lawe and testament of the hiyeste, of doom to iustifie a wickid man;

3 of the word of felowis, and of weigoeris, and of the yyuyng of eritage of frendis;

4 of the euennesse of balaunce, and of weiytis, of the getyng of many thingis, and of fewe thingis;

5 of corrupcioun of biyng, and of marchauntis, and of myche chastising of sones; and of a worste seruaunt, to make the side to bleede.

8 Absteine thou fro the techyng of an vnwitti man, and fool, and of eldere men that ben demed of yonge men; and thou schalt be lernd in alle thingis, and thou schalt be comendable in the siyt of alle men.

9 An hid douyter of a fadir is wakynge and bisynesse of hym; sche schal take awei sleep; lest perauenture sche be maad auowtresse in hir yong wexynge age, and lest sche dwellynge with the hosebonde, be maad hateful;

10 lest ony tyme sche be defoulid in hir virginytee, and be foundun with child in the kepyng of hir fadir; leste perauenture sche dwellynge with the hosebonde, do trespasse, ether certis be maad bareyn.

11 Ordeyne thou kepyng on a letcherouse douyter, lest ony tyme sche make thee to come in to schenschipe to enemyes, of bacbityng in the citee, and of castyng out of the puple; and sche make thee aschamed in the multitude of puple.

12 Nyle thou take heed to ech man in the fairnesse; and nyle thou dwelle in the myddis of wymmen.

13 For whi a mouyte cometh forth of clothis, and the wickidnesse of a man cometh forth of a womman.

14 For whi the wickidnesse of a man is betere than a womman doynge wel, and a womman schendyng in to schenschipe.

15 Therfor be thou myndeful of the werkis of the Lord; and Y schal telle the werkis of the Lord, whiche Y siy, in the wordis of the Lord.

16 The sunne liytnynge bihelde by alle thingis; and the werk therof is ful of the glorie of the Lord.

17 Whether the Lord made not hooli men to telle out alle hise merueilis, whiche the Lord almyyti stidfast in his glorie schal conferme?

18 He schal enserche the depthe, and the herte of men; and he schal thenke in the felnesse of hem.

19 For the Lord knew al kunnyng, and bihelde in to the signe of the world; tellynge tho thingis that ben passid, and tho thingis that schulen come; schewynge the steppis of hid thingis.

20 And no thouyt passith hym, and no word hidith it silf fro hym.

21 He made fair the grete werkis of his wisdom, which is bifore the world, and til in to the world; nether ony thing is encreessid,

22 nether is decreessid, and he hath no nede to the counsel of ony.

23 Alle hise werkis ben ful desirable, and to biholde, as a sparcle which is.

24 Alle these thingis lyuen, and dwellen in to the world; and alle thingis obeien to hym in al nede.

25 Alle thingis ben double, oon ayens oon; and he made not ony thing to faile. He schal conferme the goodis of ech; and who schal be fillid, seynge his glorie?

2 He made him lijk in the glorie of seyntis, and he magnefiede hym in the drede of enemyes; and in his wordis he made peesible the wondris ayens kynde.

3 He glorifiede hym in the siyt of kyngis, and he `comaundide to hym bifore his puple, and schewide his glorie to hym.

4 In the feith and myldenesse of hym God made hym hooli; and chees him of alle men.

5 For he herde hym, and his vois; and ledde in hym in a cloude.

6 And yaf to hym an herte to comaundementis, and to the lawe of lijf, and of techyng; to teche Jacob a testament, and Israel hise domes.

7 He made hiy Aaron, his brother, and lijk hym of the lynage of Leuy.

8 He ordeynede to hym euerlastynge testament, and yaf to hym the preesthod of the folk. And he made hym blissful in glorie,

9 and girte hym with a girdil of riytfulnesse; and clothide hym with a stoole of glorie, and crownede hym in the ournementis of vertu.

10 He settide on hym sandalies, and breeches, and a clooth on the schuldur, and girte hym aboute with ful many small goldun bellis in cumpas;

11 to yyue soun in his goyng, to make soun herd in the temple, in to mynde to the sones of his folk.

12 God yaf to hym an hooli stoole, a wouun werk, with gold, and iacynct, and purpur, the werk of a wijs man, maad riche with doom and treuthe;

13 the werk of a crafti man, in writhun reed threed, with preciouse iemmes grauun in the byndyng of gold, and grauun bi the werk of a crafti man of stoonys, in to mynde, bi the noumbre of the lynagis of Israel.

14 A goldun coroun on his mytre, set forth with the signe of hoolynesse, the glorie of onour, and the werk of vertu, ourned to desijr of iyen.

19 It was maad to hym in to euerlastynge testament, and to his seed as the daies of heuene, to vse presthod, and to haue preisyng, and to glorifie his puple in his name.

20 God chees hym of ech lyuynge man, to offre sacrifice to God, encense, and good odour, in to mynde, for to plese for his puple.

21 And he yaf to hym power in hise comaundementis, and in the testamentis of domes, to teche Jacob witnessyngis, and in his lawe to yyue liyt to Israel.

22 For aliens stooden ayens hym, and men that weren with Datan and Abiron, and the congregacioun of Chore, in wrathfulnesse cumpassiden hym for enuye, in desert.

23 The Lord siy, and it pleside not hym; and thei weren wastid in the feersnesse of wrathfulnesse.

24 He made to hem wondris ayens kynde, and in the flawme of fier he wastide hem.

25 And he encreesside glorie to Aaron, and yaf eritage to hym; and he departide to Aaron the firste thingis of fruytis of the erthe.

26 He made redi his breed in the firste thingis, in to fulnesse; for whi and thei shulen ete the sacrifices of the Lord, whiche he yaf to hym, and to his seed.

27 But in the lond of his folk he schal not haue eritage, and no part is to hym among the folk; for whi God is the part and eritage of hym.

28 Fynees, the sone of Eleazarus, was the thridde in glorie, in suynge hym in the drede of God,

29 and to stonde in the reuerence of folk; in the goodnesse and gladnesse of his soule he pleside God of Israel.

30 Therfor God ordeynede to hym the testament of pees, and made hym prince of hooli men, and of his folk; that the dignete of presthod be to hym and to his seed, with outen ende.

31 And the testament of Dauid, the sone of Jesse, of the lynage of Juda, was eritage to hym, and to his seed; that he schulde yyue wisdom in to oure herte, to deme his folk in riytfulnesse, lest her goodis schulen be don awei; and he made the glorie of hem to be euerlastinge, in the folk of hem.

1 Aftir these thingis Nathan, the profete, roos, in the daies of Dauid.

2 And as ynnere fatnesse departide fro the fleisch, so Dauid fro the sones of Israel.

3 He pleiede with liouns, as with lambren; he dide in lijk maner with beris, as with lambren of scheep.

4 Whether in his yongthe he killide not a giaunt, and took awei schenschip fro the folk?

5 In reisynge the hond in a stoon of a slynge, he castide doun the ful out ioiyng of Golias,

6 where he clepide to help the Lord almyyti; and he yaf in his riyt hond to do awei a stronge man in batel, and to enhaunse the horn of his folk.

7 So he glorifiede hym in ten thousynde, and he preiside hym in the blessyngis of the Lord, in offrynge to hym the coroun of glorie.

8 For he al to-brak enemyes on ech side, and drow out bi the roote Filisteis contrarie, `til in to this dai; he al to-brak the horn of hem, `til in to with outen ende.

9 Dauid in ech werk yaf knouleching to hooli God, and hiy in the word of glorie.

10 Of al his herte he heriede God, and he louyde the Lord that made hym, and yaf to hym power ayens enemyes.

11 And he made syngeris to stonde ayens the auter; and he made swete motetis in the soun of hem.

12 And he yaf fairnesse in halewyngis, and he ournede tymes `til to the endyng of lijf; that thei schulden preise the hooli name of the Lord, and make large eerli the hoolynesse of God.

13 Crist purgide the synnes of hym, and enhaunside his horn with outen ende; and he yaf to hym the testament of kyngis, and the seete of glorie in Israel.

14 Aftir hym roos a witti sone; and for hym he castide doun al the power of enemyes.

15 Salomon regnede in the daies of pees, to whom God made suget alle enemyes, that he schulde make an hous in the name of God, and make redi hoolynesse with outen ende, as he was lerned in his yongthe.

16 And he was fillid with wisdom as a flood is fillid; and his soule vnhilide the erthe.

17 And thou, Salomon, fillidist derk figuratif spechis in licnessis; and thi name was pupplischid to ilis afer, and thou were louyde in thi pees.

18 Londis wondriden in songis, and in prouerbis, and in licnessis, and interpretyngis, ether exposiciouns; and in the name of the Lord,

23 that thou schuldist make the rewme departid in to tweyne, and of Effrem to comaunde an hard comaundement.

24 But God schal not forsake his merci, and schal not distrie, nether do awei hise werkis, nether he schal leese fro generacioun the sones sones of his chosun kyng Dauid; and he schal not distrie the seed of hym that loueth the Lord.

25 Forsothe God yaf remenaunt to Jacob, and to Dauid of that generacioun.

26 And Salomon hadde an ende with hise fadris.

27 And he lefte aftir hym of his seed Roboam,

28 the foli of the folk, and made lesse fro prudence; which Roboam turnede awei the folk bi his councel.

29 And Jeroboam, the sone of Nabath, that made Israel to do synne, and yaf to Effraym weie to do synne; and ful many synnes of hem weren plenteuouse,

1 Symount, the sone of Onyas, was a greet preest, which in his lijf vndursettide the hous, and in hise daies strengthide the temple.

2 Also the hiynesse of the temple was bildide of hym, the double bildyng, and hiy wallis of the temple.

3 In the daies of hym the pittis of watris camen forth; and as the see tho weren fillid aboue mesure.

4 Which Symount helide his folk, and delyuerede it fro perdicioun.

5 Which was myyti to alarge the citee; which gat glorie in the conuersacioun of folk; and alargide the entryng of the hous, and of the large cumpas aboute.

6 As the dai sterre in the myddis of a cloude, and as a ful moone schyneth in hise daies;

7 and as the sunne schynynge, so he schynede in the temple of God;

8 as a reyn bouwe schynynge among the cloudis of glorie, and as a flour of rosis in the daies of veer, and as lilies, that ben in the passyng of watir, and as encense smellynge in the daies of somer; as fier schynynge,

9 and ensence brennynge in fier;

10 as a sad vessel of gold, ourned with ech preciouse stoon;

11 as an olyue tree spryngynge forth, and a cipresse tree reisynge it silf an hiy; while he took the stoole of glorie, and was clothid in the perfeccioun of vertu.

12 In the stiyng of the hooli auter, the clothing of hoolynesse yaf glorie.

13 Forsothe in takynge partis of the hoond of prestis, and he stood bisidis the auter. The coroun of britheren, as a plauntyng of cedre in the hil Liban, was aboute hym;

14 so thei stoden aboute hym as boowis of palm tree, and alle the sones of Aaron stoden in her glorie.

15 Sotheli the offryng of the Lord was in the hondis of hem, bifore al the synagoge of Israel; and he vside ful endyng on the auter, to alarge the offryng of the hiy kyng.

16 And he dresside his hond in moiste sacrifice; and sacrifiside in the blood of grape.

17 He schedde out in the foundement of the auter, the odour of God to the hiy prince.

18 Thanne the sones of Aaron crieden lowde; thei sowneden in trumpis betun out with hameris, and maden a grete vois herd in to mynde bifore God.

19 Thanne al the puple hastiden togidere, and fellen doun on the face on the erthe, for to worschipe her Lord God, and to yyue preyers to almyyti God an hiy.

20 And men syngynge in her voices alargiden; and a soun ful of swetnesse was maad in the greet hous.

21 And the puple preiede the hiy Lord in preier, til that the onour of the Lord was doon perfitli, and thei parformeden her yifte.

22 Thanne Symount cam doun, and reiside hise hondis in to al the congregacioun of the sones of Israel, to yyue glorie to God bi hise lippis, and to haue glorie in the name of hym.

23 And he reherside his preier, willynge to schewe the vertu of God.

24 And he preyede more the Lord of alle, that made grete thingis in ech lond; which encreesside oure daies fro the wombe of oure modir, and dide with vs bi his mercy.

25 Yyue he gladnesse of herte to vs, and that pees be maad in Israel bi euerlastynge daies;

26 that Israel bileue, that Goddis merci is with vs, that he delyuere hem in her dayes.

27 Mi soule hatith twei folkis; but the thridde is not a folk, whom Y hate.

28 Thei that sitten in the hil of Seir, and the Filisteis, and the fonned puple, that dwellith in Sichemys.

29 Jhesus, the sone of Sirach, a man of Jerusalem, wroot in this book the techyng of wisdom, and of kunnyng; and he renulide wisdom of his herte.

30 He is blessid, that dwellith in these goodis; he that settith tho in his herte, schal euere be wijs.

31 For if he doith these thingis, he schal be miyti to alle thingis; for whi the liyt of God is the step of hym.

3 and thou hast delyuered my bodi fro perdicioun, fro the snare of a wickid tunge, and fro the lippis of hem that worchen a leesyng; and in the siyt of hem that stonden nyy thou art maad an helpere to me.